It's time to take your wrinkled Italian flag out of the drawer because Alfa Romeo is returning to America!
Yes, we know the 8C has already debuted, but with the exorbitant price and limited numbers, this small
and nimble model is a welcome addition. The 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C is slated to compete against the likes
of the hard cornering Lotus Elise and Porsche Cayman. Who can complain with a performance-oriented
Italian slated to have a reasonable price tag?

The RWD 4C is powered by a 1.75L turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an available 240hp mated to
an 'Alfa TCT' dry twin-clutch automatic transmission. The rear-wheel drive system is derived from the 8C
Competizione. Power-to-weight ratio is about 8.8lb/hp and weight distribution is 40% at the front axle
and 60% at the rear.

We understand that Alfa must compete among the big European names such as Maserati, Ferrari,
Lamborghini and Porsche in the US market, but it would've been nice to have a true manual gearbox
option.

For those who want to feel all 240 horses there's Race mode, which allows the 4C to go from 0-62mph in
4.5sec. Top speed is 160mph and deceleration peaks in the range of 1.2g while lateral acceleration
peaks over 1.1g. Braking, accelerating and cornering are all conveyed with as much 'feel' as possible
while steering is unassisted providing even more of that sports car feel.

This is a sports car based on driving pleasure - as seen by the two racing bucket seats. The 4C is built on
aerodynamic principles and lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum materials aiming to get the most out
of a small package (157in and a wheelbase of 94.4in). Assembled at the Maserati plant in Modena, Italy,
this coupe features a striking and curvy design. While the headlights have been raising some eyebrows,
we will have to wait to get an in person look. US safety regulations have piled on the pounds as
compared to the Euro-spec, though.

An extra 220 lb were added to the American model, bringing the promise of an Italian Lotus Elise (1960
lb base) up to a slightly more portly 2193 lb. Europe gets the slim version at 1973 lb.
Only 3500 units are expected to be sold of the 4C annually, and out of those, 1000 are earmarked for
the European market. If you live in Europe orders will begin in October. While actual MSRP is TBA,
consider the ultra-limited 4C "Launch Edition" costs 60000 Euros ($81156) so the standard model will
cost less.